The Million dollar Question
by Lunafee
Summary: Ren asks Masato why they seem to fight all of the time. Without the proper answer, Ren proposes the thought to become friends...or...more than that.
1. The Queston

**Chapter 1**

**The Question**

"Masato….why do we fight?"

The calligraphy brush stood still. A small droplet of ink fell on the page, luckily not marring any of his work too harshly, but enough to be unsettling. Masato's eyes shifted over to the strawberry blonde figure across the room. He was lying in his bed, a magazine in one hand and a mug filled with a liquid of some sorts in the other.

"What?" The blue haired boy asked; his tone unchanging from his usual one despite his current confused mood.

"Why do we fight?" Ren echoed. His tone was casual, his body was relaxed, and his eyes were dead set on the back of Masato's head.

What a curve ball of a question. Out of all the things Jinguji could have asked…why _this?_ Not that he didn't have an answer of course…he was Masato Hijirikawa…he _always_ had to have an answer. The question simply threw him off…a _sneak attack at the rear._Yes…that was it.

"You and I both know very well why we fight, Jinguji." Masato replied. His tone was cold. _Very cold_. Like D_ry-ice-in-the-middle-of-the-north-pole _cold_. _Well...perhaps not_ that _cold, but the point was still valid_._"Well yes. But…think about it for a moment. If it were not for the issue with our families, what reason does that leave?" Ren stated. Was this his way of striking conversation? Because if it was Masato did not like it one bit.

"It's Simple. You are an arrogant, self-centered, shameless flirt who doesn't take his work seriously." Masato laid his brush down on the paper for the moment. "And you are an uptight killjoy who couldn't smile even if it were to save his life. Nobody's perfect. Not even me~" Ren's eyes glazed back down to his magazine at the casual reply. Masato was left speechless.

"That doesn't mean we can't still be friends-…" Ren sat up. He placed his read down on the bed and strolled over to Masato's side of the room. Almost instantly it was as if the mood of the room drifted. Like their rooms had some sort of magical effect on the both of them. As soon as Ren crossed that line, it was as if he felt like he was suffocating. Was this how Masato felt _all the time? It was _no wonder the boy wouldn't smile_…ever._

Ignoring the sensation of crushing hands around his throat, the blonde kneeled down next to the blue haired boy, tilting his chin up with his index finger, forcing eyes to meet. "…Or more than that." He finished.

_'More than that'?_ The words echoed in Masato's ears. What the hell was that supposed to mean? What nonsense was that blonde buffoon spewing this time? What-

…!

Masato's thoughts came to a screeching halt when the sensation of warm lips was pressed down onto his own. His hands shook, his eyes widened like dinner plates…but he didn't pull away. He didn't dare to break. He just…sat there. Everything faded…every thought he had faded to grey, then black…a smooth gradient to the two colors. His thoughts were there, and then they were gone. Albeit slowly…but they left.

Ren soon smoothly pulled away after what seemed like hours. A smirk on his lips and a wink sent flying to Masato. Masato's lips were slightly parted, his stare blank, and his body still. Perhaps his brain was still trying to process what had happened in the last ten or so seconds? Who knows.

Ren Chuckled slightly and coolly stood up. He smoothed out his pants and began to walk back to his side of the room. He grabbed his mug and started for the door. "I'm going to go for a refill. Be back~" Ren announced before walking out of the door. Masato just sat there, not noticing Ren leaving the room.

He didn't even notice the fact that his brush was quickly drying out as it laid over the paper.


	2. Investigation

**Chapter 2**

**Investigation**

It had been three days since his last encounter with Ren. And in those three days alone, Masato had gone out of his way to try avoiding the flirt as much as he possibly could. Thankfully for most of the day they were in separate classes; leaving him only to worry about breaks, and when it was time to retreat back to his quarters.

It was at that time he started to act…strange.

Whenever Ren would look his way, Masato would turn his head in the complete opposite direction, not want to make one second's worth of eye contact with him. It was even as if the name "Ren" Was no longer in his vocabulary. He wouldn't dare utter it himself, or pay any mind to anyone who ever brought him up.

One would think this was simply Masato being…Masato; but no…he wasn't doing this out of spite this time…he was doing this out of embarrassment.

But it was until on the fourth day of his evasive behavior that his friends started to catch wind.

* * *

"_See!_ I _told _you all he was acting weird!"

Syo, Otoya, and Natsuki sat a good two tables away from where Masato had decided to sit. It was lunch time, and Syo's talk of Masato acting strange called for an investigation. Plus, it was a good break away from the usual mundane routines the school had to offer as of late.

"Are you sure? Doesn't look like he's acting out of the ordinary to me…" Otoya replied. His elbows were resting on the table and his palms were supporting his cheeks as the three of them looked on, studying their friend. Masato was sitting at the table…and that was _it._ He was just…sitting. He didn't move a single muscle, and one could wonder whether he was even blinking or breathing. Natsuki cocked his head in confusion. "Poor thing _must _be stressed. You know Masato; he always has something on his mind." The blonde stated.

"Tch. That's what I thought at first. But look closely at him again…there's _something_ wrong with that picture." Syo inched his head closer to Masato's area, leading Otoya and Natsuki to do the same…he was _right!_ There _was _something indeed wrong!

There was Masato sitting down, deep in the trance-like thought like he had been, but by his side laid an open package of _untouched Melon Bread._

"He's not eating his Melon Bread." Otoya pointed out. "Exactly." Syo nodded. "Knowing Masato, he could finish that thing in less than a minute if he tried; but this time he didn't even take one bite. If that isn't strange, I don't know _what _is." There was a moment of silence. The three of them were truly dumbfounded. Masato not eating his Melon Bread? Just_ what _was this world coming to? "Well…" Natsuki stated openly. "We better go ask him why." The taller blonde stood up from his chair and proceeded to advance over to Masato's area, only to be halted by a hand grabbing onto his wrist and forcing him back into his seat. "Oh no you don't!" Syo scorned at Natsuki. "You know Masato. This is something that he's not eating his Melon Bread over, he's not gonna tell us a _thing._"

"So what should we do? We can't just let him keep acting like this…what if he takes it to work with him?" Otoya questioned. The red head had a valid point. If whatever was happening had this tight of a grip on Masato's thoughts and emotions, who knows how that would affect STARISH. The group simply _wasn't_ complete unless all members gave their A-game. "We're gonna go to the one person I'm _positive_ Masato would open up to." Said the smaller blonde, causing both Otoya and Natsuki to lean in close in curiosity and anticipation as to _what_ plan the little guy was cooking up. "_**Who**_?" They both asked.

"…_Haruka."_

* * *

**Author's note!: Heeeey you guys.  
**  
**Well after ideas kept popping into my head, I decided to make this a series! So yes! The Million dollar Question is going to be a multi-chapter story! PLEASE stay with me folks! You guys are in for a wild ride! (or not...depends on what you're into) But just a disclaimer about my headcannons of the Utapri world!:**

**-Haruka will NOT be the main focus of my stories! They will focus on the members of STARISH. Haruka will make appearances from time to time, but don't expect her to steal the show.**

**-These stories will primarily be MasaRen stories, so I'm going to focus on them a lot. But I'll try to give all of the members of Starish some love!**

**And as for the rest...well...I guess we'll discover them in story now shall we?**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll TRY to make them longer for you guys! Let me know what you think, and have a glorious day!**

**~Luna**


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